{"product_id":"the-tubs-hard-life-386387","title":"The Tubs – Hard Life","description":"\n  \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCondition: \u003c\/strong\u003e Brand New\u003c\/div\u003e\n  \n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"tabs\"\u003e\n  \u003cli class=\"active\"\u003eDescription\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eRelease details\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eTracklist\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"tabs-content\"\u003e\n\n  \u003c!-- Description tab content --\u003e\n  \u003cli class=\"active\"\u003e\n    \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Tubs' \u003cem\u003eHard Life\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e is the Welsh band's 2026 Merge debut, arriving after two earlier albums, heavy touring, and growing attention around their sharp, literate strain of jangle-pop. Here they push that sound further out: still hooky and immediate, but broader in emotional range, with songs that turn heartbreak, regret and self-examination into something more hard-edged and self-aware.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA big part of what sets this record apart is the expanded cast around the core band, especially fiddle player Chris Haigh. His playing runs through the album, adding warmth, tension and a slightly bruised sweetness that deepens the folk-pop pull of songs like \u003cem\u003eStoop to Me\u003c\/em\u003e and the title track. The Tubs' knack for memorable guitar-pop melodies is still central, but the arrangements feel richer and more ambitious than before.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOwen Williams' writing also sharpens the album's identity. The familiar Tubs concerns of love, loss, obsession and grief are still here, but \u003cem\u003eHard Life\u003c\/em\u003e introduces a sterner second voice: less indulgent, more confrontational, sometimes almost arguing with the older self inside the song. That tension gives the record much of its bite, whether on the lead single \u003cem\u003eWho's Gonna Love You Now?\u003c\/em\u003e or in the way bright, anthemic music keeps rubbing against lyrics full of doubt. It's a smart evolution for a band already very good at turning discomfort into irresistible indie pop.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eReviews\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cq\u003ea moving, funny, immensely powerful album\u003c\/q\u003e - \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/music\/2026\/sep\/10\/the-tubs-hard-life-review\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cq\u003ean album of survival\u003c\/q\u003e - \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/pitchfork.com\/reviews\/albums\/the-tubs-hard-life\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003ePitchfork\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n    \n\n    \n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n\n  \u003c!-- Release tab content --\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n    \u003cdiv\u003e\n        \n        \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArtist: \u003c\/strong\u003e The Tubs\u003c\/div\u003e\n        \n        \n        \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLabel: \u003c\/strong\u003e Merge Records\u003c\/div\u003e\n        \n        \n          \n          \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFormat: \u003c\/strong\u003e LP\u003c\/div\u003e\n          \n        \n        \n        \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eUnits: \u003c\/strong\u003e 1\u003c\/div\u003e\n        \n        \n        \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCountry: \u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/vinyl-records-store-australia\/country_us\"\u003eUS\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n        \n        \n        \n        \n        \n        \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGenre: \u003c\/strong\u003e\n          \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/pop-rock-vinyl-records\"\u003ePop \u0026amp; Rock\u003c\/a\u003e\n        \u003c\/div\u003e\n        \n        \n        \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStyle: \u003c\/strong\u003e\n          \n            \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/indie-rock\"\u003eIndie Rock\u003c\/a\u003e\n          \n        \u003c\/div\u003e\n        \n        \n    \u003c\/div\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n\n  \u003c!-- Tracklist tab content --\u003e\n  \n  \u003cli\u003e\n    \u003cp\u003eA1 \u003ca rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/results?search_query=The+Tubs+Hard+Life\"\u003eHard Life\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA2 \u003ca rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/results?search_query=The+Tubs+Who's+Gonna+Love+You+Now?\"\u003eWho'S Gonna Love You Now?\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA3 \u003ca rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/results?search_query=The+Tubs+If+You+Don't+Love+Me\"\u003eIf You Don'T Love Me\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA4 \u003ca rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/results?search_query=The+Tubs+Stoop+To+Me\"\u003eStoop To Me\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA5 \u003ca rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/results?search_query=The+Tubs+Heaven+Or+London\"\u003eHeaven Or London\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA6 \u003ca rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/results?search_query=The+Tubs+Didn't+Say\"\u003eDidn'T Say\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003eB1 \u003ca rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/results?search_query=The+Tubs+Do+Yourself+A+Favor\"\u003eDo Yourself A Favor\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003eB2 \u003ca rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/results?search_query=The+Tubs+Now+And+Then\"\u003eNow And Then\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003eB3 \u003ca rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/results?search_query=The+Tubs+The+Way+It+Goes\"\u003eThe Way It Goes\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003eB4 \u003ca rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/results?search_query=The+Tubs+Hell\"\u003eHell\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003eB5 \u003ca rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/results?search_query=The+Tubs+In+Your+Place\"\u003eIn Your Place\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003eB6 \u003ca rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/results?search_query=The+Tubs+As+Long+As+You+Leave\"\u003eAs Long As You Leave\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n  \n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n","brand":"Merge Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50531670851649,"sku":"5325401","price":48.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1474\/5258\/files\/216659-the-tubs-hard-life.jpg?v=1790243410","url":"https:\/\/www.dutchvinyl.com.au\/products\/the-tubs-hard-life-386387","provider":"Dutch Vinyl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}